Issa Rae’s Dramatic Family History Is Like a “Soap Opera” | Finding Your Roots | Ancestry©
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Actress and producer Issa Rae gains clarity on where she comes from… with a surprising twist ending that she likens to a soap opera! Watch as Henry Louis Gates Jr. walks her through her family history on PBS’s Finding Your Roots.
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Were you as blown away discovering your family history as Issa was? Share your experience in the replies!
Not me , as I am first generation American with Northwestern European roots, so I pretty much new my family history. But I did surprise my daughter-in-law when I traced her ancestors back to European royalty starting with Charlemagne 😊
I have been searching for years to find out who my grandmothers father is - I can’t :( it hurts my soul to see a blank spot where her father should be on my family tree.
Hello Alexis! We're sorry to hear that you've not been able to find your great grandfather so far, we know that it can sometimes be really difficult to fill these blank spots in our family trees. We'd be eager to assist a little and can suggest the following guides, with tips on overcoming roadblocks and suggestions on how to use DNA to look for unknown biological relatives. Maybe you can find some tips within these guides.
Overcoming Roadblocks in Your Research:
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Finding Biological Family:
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Many thanks for stopping by and for exploring your family history with Ancestry. We wish you much success with your continuous search!
This is extremely fascinating! I’ve been trying to trace my roots on my mother’s side. Ever since I was little, I was told that I didn’t resemble my family. I do know that I was adopted by my grandmother. So many different situations that were unexplainable happened during my life. One day I was told my great great grandmother was a dark skinned woman with eyes as blue as the sky and that she was accused of voodoo. I have so many questions with no answers, my grandmother passed away and my biological mother passed two weeks after my 21st birthday, but I had dreamt about her a week prior to her passing. I fear I’ll never get answers 😢
Most blacks have a connection to Louisiana
Issa could turn her actual family history into a compelling drama
Issa could make anything and we would watch it, and love it! 😂
100
@@kennethdrake7686 And honestly, this is the American history we all need to see.
Better tell somebody...
She is clearly a story teller for a reason
Most black slave owners bought their family and friends as a means to keep them safe and often freed them. Check out the slave narratives and the slave memoirs in the Library of Congress. It's a very interesting experience to read and listen to these people life story from their view.
Right like, why didn’t he add that part in.
Facts! Thanks for pointing that out... There were a lot of black slave owners in the south and most of their slaves were there family members. The etymology of the word family means servants a.k.a. slaves.
@angelg.4465 He's doing it on purpose to fit the false slave narratives taught in the schools systems.
And as this is true, in South Louisiana, there are also true narratives told where it was simply just a business for some.
So both truths of history have to be told to rectify it 💯.
Global yt supremacy really did a number on our people 😢😢😢😢.
@BunnyHop2So, what are you saying happened?? That certain black people owned slaves, so we’re just as culpable as the whites for our current place in society?? Explain.
She is so beautiful. Her complexion and bone structure. Just vibrant. 👑👑⚘⚘⚘
Absolutely beautiful
Yes she is! Her father is Senegalese, she clearly looks Wolof or Mandingo.
Absolutely STUNNING 😍
She’s hella beautiful 😩🔥🤌🏾💕
visually stunning. it's all i could think about everytime she was on camera.
And that's only her mothers side. Her father is Senegalese and for sure has interesting stories within Africa
Hopefully not a slave trading ancestry 💁🏽♀️
@@hello_04most likely no. Most of the slave trading occurred in west Africa.
@@hello_04 I doubt that. Her last name is Diop, very common name in Senegal, one of the most proud tribes and I believe they fought hard against colonisation, so probably against slavery too
@@TheSuperNatsAnd where is Senegal located?
@@TheSuperNats Senegal is in west Africa 😂
Her complexion is perfection. 😍
I'm a 39 years old Black American, last year through Ancestry I found that My 6x grandfather was a Patriot in the Revolutionary War, I had 7 ancestors including two grandfathers who fought for the Colored Troops in the Civil War. I have free Black ancestors on the 1820-1870 census in Wayne County, NY. So many other amazing finds in my story but these were the most profound.
What a jaw-dropping finding! Thank you for sharing!
Is it a service you paid for?
Wow! She's a member of the Charbonnet family, they have a strong prominence in New Orleans.
I was just thinking that. I'm from New Orleans, and I know a few Charbonnets.
I am of Haitian descent. I just recently found out after Haiti won independence alot of French and slaves moved to Louisiana because it was still owned by the French. I clicked on this expecting Haiti to pop up and what do know. It definitely makes you look at how connected we are.
That's interesting! I never saw the Haitian connection with French and Louisiana (especially New Orleans)
Haiti help the USA get Louisiana from the french!.
I have Haitian roots byway of my mom’s father and they are from Louisiana. Many people from Louisiana have Haitian roots.
@LYSVIAV It was called the Lousiana Purchae, BUT it was NOT truly the Lousiana we know today. The land mass area stretched and reached much, much more, lol. Saying JUST Lousiana is an understatement because a lot of people are misinformed on what present-day states were a part of the Lousiana Purchase. Anyone who doesn't know anyway can just look up the map it is in the school books, but a lot of people won't and are in denial of Haiti's help. Without the Haitian revolution, France still would have had all of the Midwest and Louisiana.
@@brielax4441Louisiana and especially New Orleans was and still is an important port of call.
This is what I like about Dr. Gates and this show. Family history shoots straight from the hip. It can't be talked away; it is what it is. It's a leveler for all of us.
You're right, there is no denying facts!
I Love Issa Rae!! She is a straight shooter and strong Beautiful Woman!!
Couldn't agree more, Dan!
Wow. She’s gorgeous.
Would love to hear her Senegalese side as well💛
Me, too. ^_^
There are some well-known Diops in Senegalese film & music, tho it is a common name there. I wonder if Issa Rae (Diop) is related to the famous Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambéty (I can definitely see a resemblance there!), and by extension Mati Diop and Wasis Diop. Talented family, i'm sure she would fit right in.
Issa's father is Senegalese which was a former french colony. Its interesting that part of her heritage didn't come up.
I didn't know she was American. She publicly claims Senegalese. I'm sure it didn't come up because this show is about American roots.
@@each6002oh yh that's why they had lupita on the show
Her family story is some what my story. Her Grandparents Joyce and Ralph are my grandmother Laura Ives Williams first cousins. Amazing!
🤩
Wow!
Both of her grandparents are related to Your grandmother? Are they related On different sides?
That means she’s your cousin too.
Issa always leaves me in awe. She’s just that woman. I look up to her. She makes me proud to be who I am🫶🏽
My great grandfather was a Frenchman. My great grandmother was a Khoisan woman from South Africa. On my father's side, my great-grandmother was a slave & she fell in love with a Frenchman & they ran away to an island to be together & eventually found themselves at the Cape of Goodhope, now known as Cape Town.
u sure about that last part?
❤😜❤
I only know my yt great grandma because she passed when I was 14 at 96 yrs old, she was native American and french, my mom side which I grew up with eat seafood all the time and instead of BBQ it's fried fish and gumbo 😂
I love love love this so much for Issa Rae! YES, WE Louisiana Creoles are STILL ALIVE! We're aound da world actually. Our culture still exists and we are unveiling, facing, and rectifying our past and present. Mo lamou nouzòt
Facts
I love the people of Louisiana. They are so genuine. I don't have roots in the South in the United States. But I am a good reader of energy.
@@funsizedazzy6708🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾
@@carminhasantangelo8402 love this comment 🤎. It’s appreciated and it’s true. As so many, we’ve gone through so much yet we have to acknowledge when we did have some type of privilege as well 💯‼️
@@Quinnfos That's right. There is nothing wrong with owning your rightful place in society. Past, Present and Future.
We all have twists and turns in our history if we look deep enough and close enough.
I just started rewatching "Insecure". If you're familiar with the show, embedded in it is a primetime parody drama with a storyline set during American chattel slavery. And Issa's real ancestry sounds like the makings of a wild story. The irony.
Glad this story came back on. Wish I could find my story.
Yes.
Start with ancestry, so far I have found a lot of information.
Stop acting like you don't have ancestors. You here ain't you😂
thanks to Ancestry, after 50+ years, my adoption papers were unsealed, I found out I had 2 younger brothers and sisters. I found them a year apart and ever since, the 3 of us have been video chatting on fb and I couldn't be happier! So many holes and unanswered questions FINALLY answered, what an amazing gift!!!!
This is such an incredible story! Wishing you and your siblings the best on your new journey 🙏
Since her mother’s side is Louisiana Creole, she should look into records from the Catholic church. Also more than likely a lot of her ancestors didn’t speak English so she might need someone to interpret.
This is similar to Ava Duvernay’s family story. Fleeing Haiti for Louisiana.
Great idea! Issa Rae is fluent in French so she really could look into these records! In my case, I would need some help.
@@mojooo4996 Issa's father is Senegalese which was a former french colony. Its interesting that part of her heritage didn't come up.
Hi there and thanks for dropping by. We just wanted to address this with you. It's important to bear in mind that even with a perfect knowledge of the history of your ancestors, DNA can still show some unexpected results. We each inherit 50% of our DNA from both our mother and father but exactly what 50% we inherit is random. This is known as genetic recombination and can cause unexpected DNA results for many members who do not inherit a region that they know their parent(s) has. Please see the article we've linked below which delves into inheritance and how it works. We hope this helps clear up any confusion.
support.ancestry.com/s/article/Understanding-Inheritance?language=en_US
Do you guys also do this in Europe??
Hi there Felicia! Our DNA test is available in 128 around the world, which you can check out here: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Countries-Where-AncestryDNA-is-Available?language=en_US
Our site also hosts over 40 billion records from 80 countries around the globe, which can be accessed with our Memberships. You can see what records are available per country in our Card Catalogue, which you can review here: www.ancestry.com/search/collections/catalog
We hope this helps!
I remember hearing about instances where freed black people would buy their family and friends to later grant them freedom.
that's very convenient
No, not true for all. Creoles weren’t buying family slaves and freeing them. Most likely those Creole men impregnated those women and were just taking care of them because they had the means to do so. I have a whole side of “illegitimate” family members from such behavior.
Why do you think the great migration from the south took place? Those white relatives needed to get rid of the mulatto/mixed relatives. Notice every time they visually show the people, it’s always a group of darker skinned black people? Yet, if you actually study the early black history in many Northern states you’ll find very light to white passing blacks who were originally from the South!!!
History is still being unfolded and ugly truths revealed. 😢
I’m from New Orleans and it’s so cool to me how a lot of us are connected.. especially if you have creole roots. So amazed to see she has roots to a prominent New Orleans family that are still prominent. Love it ❤
Yes some black people owned slaves and it was mostly to keep families together and free them.
Please turn this into a series Issa!
Issa Rae is sooo absolutely stunning just drop dead gorgeous !!! ❤❤❤
She is so pretty she has the most perfect features . She is gorgeous.
Her skin!!! 😍😍😍😍
Wow, just beautiful!😊 I don’t view Issa Rae as a comedienne, but rather, a renowned film producer, and an actress. Nice French pronunciations by Mr. Gates, by the way.👍
Issa is multi-talented, that's for sure. 😊
Her mom is creole so seeing all the french ancestry makes sense.
Issa could write a Roots movie about her history
Issa's story is not that unusual. She's a celebrity so Gates makes it sound extraordinary.
We all have amazing stories to explore.
We know that New Orleans has a french,Indian,African,French ancestry.
Wake up, every ADOS story is a Roots story.
I need Miss Rae to write up something cause wow 🤯
I always felt like Issa has Haitian roots for some reason. I just couldn’t find what it was. Her mannerisms, personality, resilience, talent, etc... something about her. Loll 😂
I’m glad to finally know that I was right.😅 Welcome to the family my sister. You were always loved. ❤⭐️🙏🏾🤗🥰🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹
very informative, she is indeed also ADOS and part of the black people who truly built America, a place where the diaspora have come to. We are more connected across the diaspora than we are divided.
Her haitian roots are white
Her Haitian roots come from a colonizer though…
@@sleek50lol a white french man born in Haiti. Who most likely raped multiple black women in Louisiana. Whose white father was killed by black Haitians most likely. I guess that’s Haitian roots though 🤷🏿♀️
@@sleek50 lol. Common sense isn't always common.
Similar to Issa's story. I am half Caribbean (my mom side are from Antigua) but when I was younger I didn't understand where my last name came from ("Eudelle") which is French. Now that I am older, I did research and spoke to my mom and she explained that my great grandfather was a white French man born in France then migrated to Antigua in the 1800s he was also a slave owner. This information was confirmed recently by my cousin when he visited Washington DC historical records. My cousin made a copy of it and showed it to us and it completely blew my mind. It showed my great grandfather and the name of the slaves he owned 😳😳 Look we are all mixed no matter if you want to admit it or not. It is what it is and I like my last name and will never change even after marriage 😊
Many Americans are mixed but many people around the world are not. Most people marry within their own culture as is the case with my family. Each and every one of my ancestors in the last 12 generations (as far as I could take my tree) was born, raised and all but 1 died in our motherland. We all married within the same ethnicity and faith. I read and transcribed every single birth, marriage and death record available to ensure every ancestor was the correct one as it was common for people to give the same name to children.
She already knows who she is, she’s the actual accurate epitome of “African American”. She’s like first or second gen. It’s the indigenous Americans that gets African results that baffles me.
Did you mean indigenous?
How is she the epitome of African American when her father is Senegalese?
Why baffled when we are originally from Africa. You can debate how we came here or how long we've been here but we are originally from Africa. I don't know how ingenious that comment was though.🤣🤣🤣
@@melc4308 White Americans are nothing like Europeans. They cannot be - Europe is a continent of 45 distinct nations as Africa is a continent of 54 nations. When I meet Americans who claim ancestry from my European country, I can tell you they do not think, act or feel like our people at all. They are deeply American. I have known so many Black Nationalists but all of them are so unmistakably American it is laughable when they try to appropriate different African cultures as their own.
@@melc4308 Well most of us are not just Americans. Some of us are Créole, Gullah, etc.
❤ the truth is empowering! Bonjou pase yon bèl jounen
Her skin is like creamy Hersheys milk chocolate. Just flawless.
Interesting thing is that there is an area in Haiti named ‘Beaulieu’. And I see that one of her family members has that last name.
SO BEAUTFUL!!!c Her makeup is FLAWLESS!
She also has Spanish ancestors! (i think) i read the name Victoria Morales I think it was her great grandmother. 🤯
For the record, "black" people who owned slaves were sons of white men. As such, they were often more brutal towards full black slaves than white slave owners. When these so-called black slave owners set someone free, it was most likely an interracial person setting an interracial person free. To omit that, or lightly touch on that, when retelling these stories is historical dishonesty. It is not a side note, in fact, it is the point. Up until the time of Du Bois, interracial people were called Mulattos to distinguish them from blacks or negroes. Today, we call them black without qualifying when we speak about them in history. This is important because a person who was interracial was not treated the same, and was exposed to certain benefits and privileges, for example, owning land and slaves. Dr. Henry Louise Gates Jr. can be very tricky as he recounts history. Everything I just wrote; he already knows, and he understands how germane this point is to the telling of Issa's family's story.
These shows feature multiple guests within a 45 minute edit. There is no way you are going to get a detailed, comprehensive history, you are going to get a quick edit of what they think is the stand-out info they found. However, when you watch interviews with Dr. Gates that is when he goes in depth on historical nuances.
Senegal’s Issa Rae❤
This was actually a very interesting story to listen to it has raised my interest in knowing my family history now.
Thanks so much for watching! We're glad you enjoyed the clip, and do appreciate your interest in diving in to your family history research. If you'd like a few tips to help you get started, please don't hesitate to check out Crista Cowan's guide for beginning your family tree: th-cam.com/video/pUEtr_b63CA/w-d-xo.html
Cheers!
I am so happy that I saw this, because for years I kept saying that my cousin looks just like Issa. Their look is quite unique…. My family is from Haiti.
Hi, thanks for watching. We are happy to see that you enjoyed this video!
I would really like to know my ancestry. It is so fascinating how people dont usually know much about their past.
I love her melanin
I love Issa Rae. She’s so gorgeous. I enjoyed this so much 🥲💕🔥
This was a great story for Issa and her family to hear about. I enjoyed this video.
You guys should watch a portugués soap opera call chica da Silva. Is quite the story.
Well, I am quite desapointed you didn’t mention at all her Father’s roots directly from Senegal. Why ?
my great grandmother is white and helped raise me and I know so much about how dna works coming from a mixed family close in dna
You can see the Haitian look in Issa & yes Haitians has a particular look
I know a few Charbonnets and Beaulieus in Nola. Very popular family names out here.
Issa came a long way..!!! 👏🏾👏🏾
ADOS in America have come the longest way!
Would love if she could have learned about her family's history in Africa prior to slavery.
All this woman must be eating is fresh vegetables juices and berries because her skin is emmaculate!!!!
She's glowing ✨
Wow good to be able to find documents that old
Discovering them truly changes lives!
4:09 Wow! 🥶
We must teach American history better. I am a teacher in the Midwest. There is one year of world history in sixth grade. All subsequent history classes are all American history and yet I (someone who is fortunate enough to be college educated) didn’t know any of that
Welcome 🙏🏾 Issa. 🇭🇹 I knew you were family! 🇭🇹
🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹 let’s go Issa, Welcome to Zoe sis!
Whites who were run out of Ayiti are also considered Zoe?
@@universaljustice7376no they are considered French colonizers. Hence, why they were run out during the revolution.
I knew it! I knew Issa had some Haitian roots… she has a beautiful je ne sais quoi about her that you see in people of Haitian decent.
Hi edagdwg God bless this special story of what happens when you are blessed to know the truth about your own family stay strong and enjoy your life. God is always around taking care of his children life is soooooo real Linda j. Peace
I wish these were longer. Is there a full version we can watch anywhere else?
No. They make them short because people have short attention spans ig. But it would be so nice to watch longer ones
The minute she said Louisiana roots i knew it was gonna go back to Haiti at some point
Yea white haitian
@@sleek50 I didn't call him Haitian, only that her story will go back to Haiti at some point. The island was not officially called Haiti when her ancestor was born so no he was not Haitian. But immigration between Hispaniola and Haiti was common due to their link to France.
Issa is black beauty personified!
Glad you are back. I am graduate school. Welcoming any advice and tips. Glad you are back.
why does he just gloss over the fact that the black slaveowner who freed her 4th great grandmother, was her father, and issa's 5th great grandfather? I feel like people may be confused by that.
Welcome to the fam, Issa 🇭🇹 🇭🇹 🇭🇹
Issa is a 🇭🇹 Zoe. More power to my sister. Pote limyè nan sa Ayiti fè byen pou mond sa a.
I think that is a trick we used to help each other get freedom. I think the Native Americans also did it.
How do you watch full episode?
My great great grandfather was a slave owner in Barbados…..not proud but it existed
when folk wanna be blaming the entire african continent i always have enough data to force folk to look inward cos it ain't pretty . there was native american slave owners as well . Not everything was clear cut black and white . Because if we have a bone to pick then we could drag native americans for days too because they owe us sum too
Black slave owners were quite common in the French slave colonies. I'm a direct descendant of a black slave owner in the ex French colony of Guadeloupe and the family recieved compensation once slavery was abolished from the French government.
All truths @GrinchMafia. I can definitely relate to this ancestral background as well. And to add context to it as far as Louisiana, da Freed People of Color who owned enslaved people were still a subordinate to European slave owners and white people in general in many instances. There was a passage some years ago, I read in a historical record about my 4x Great PawPaw/Grandpa's brother. He and his brother were FPOC/Creoles of Color that owned enslaved people. His brother was questioned by some yankee Europeans in Southwest Louisiana about his whereabouts as a person of color, which he had to answer to, and they took some of his possessions and sent him on his way.
With this lineage of our family having a tradition of being slave owners, my theory is they had little to no choice but to be one due to da violent and volatile social climate of chattel slavery, and/or they were easily accustomed to da culture around them and satisfied with such... Which is definitely a sad sobering reality and a paradox for Melanated families in Latin slave colonies, and in some instances in some British colonies.
This dialogue is consistently needed! To tell our truths and recognize them.
@Quinn94 Interesting story. I think once Louisiana became part of the United States, the dynamics of race relations changed for the worse for FPOC. Prior to the Louisiana purchase, the Creoles of colour i heard had a lot of influence, especially in New Orleans.
@@grinchmafia7295 It definitely did! Ya right on da money with it! As Louisiana Creoles, we often talk about that topic. Da Americanization of Louisiana tried to erase us as a people and our culture for the second time (da first time it happened was when we were forced to be brought to this land and had to live through code noir and/or when our ancestors faced attempted genocide regarding those with Indigenous American blood.)
It was another wave of colonization.
And yes, that is absolutely true, our people did have a lot of influence in subtle and direct ways. Our people maneuvered through colonial times as best as they knew how and had a considerable impact and influence on South and Central Louisiana.
@@grinchmafia7295 And it's funny ya mentioned when Louisiana became part of da United States because da incident I mentioned happened after 1803 and during da Civil War if I am not mistaken. So definitely on point!!!
I found a very interesting history on both sides of my family. One side descends from slaves while my other side has Native American roots as well as people who fought in the Revolutionary War
I hate slaveryyyyy!
This was beautiful and we Love you Issa❤
She is a real beautiful woman ❤😊
Her skin is so pretty 😊
They don’t tell you that free black people purchase the family members to keep the family together.
I'd assume they would mention it if there was a family connection. But it seems like there was some intended generosity in freeing her and another enslaved woman.
Love love Issa Rae!!
Haitian for life 🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹
Are there any movies/docs on the Haitian revolution?
I wish i could start my ancestry journey but i can't afford it at the moment, i hope to in the future as i would love to know where i came from, i know very little about my family.
Hi, stoopid. Thanks for your comment. We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed this segment of "Finding Your Roots." We do want you to know that we are having a sale on our Gift subscriptions and DNA tests for Father's Day. If you're interested you can see the prices in the articles we're including. Just click on the blue button in the articles to see the prices. Please let us know if you have any questions.
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Now that is a soap opera and more historical drama!!!
New Orleans roots! Her family is well known in New Orleans.
She is so beautiful
I found my 6x Great Grandparents in the US census up to 1800 not one slave.
I work at a country club and know some members by the name Charbonnet. I wonder if they are related.
Her skin is amazing
she absolutely gorgeous
Wow this is crazy😮
How is she always so moisturized
Welcome to Louisiana...
God bless you all and your family
They do say truth is stranger than fiction
Well, everybody is mixed! Skin color os just one aspect, but not the whole story❤
Seeing as most people around the world marry within their culture, no, not everyone is mixed. But it is more common in newer nations like the US and Australia to be.
Shout out to the diligent genealogists!
It's amazing to see what can be discovered, Weslyn!
Merlite is such a beautiful name🎉😂
Hi there, Genevieve! Thanks for stopping by. We hope you enjoyed this episode of the show!